U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, right, recognizes Deputy Weber County Attorney Branden Miles for his work during a visit to the Utah State Capitol on Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. Sessions visited Salt Lake City on Wednesday to discuss federal assistance for fighting violent crime.

Weber County prosecutor honored at Project Safe Neighborhoods national conference

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, right, recognizes Deputy Weber County Attorney Branden Miles for his work during a visit to the Utah State Capitol on Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. Sessions visited Salt Lake City on Wednesday to discuss federal assistance for fighting violent crime.

The award given to Branden Miles, the Chief Criminal Deputy in the Weber County Attorney’s Office, was one of 16 given out to recognize individuals, task forces and organizations for their work on the nationwide initiative of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Miles was present in Kansas City to accept the award.

Miles was given an award for Outstanding Local Prosecutor during the national conference, according to a press release issued Thursday afternoon by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah. Acting U.S. Attorney General Matthew Whitaker presented the award to miles.

Miles is one of the longest-serving special assistant U.S. attorneys in the state of Utah, with over 10 years of federal prosecution experience since he was cross-deputized in 2007, according to the release.

“Since that time, he has worked tirelessly to prosecute dangerous firearm offenders, armed drug traffickers, and violent gang members,” the release said.

Recently, Miles is credited for his work on the PSN initiative based in Ogden. In October, Miles was honored by then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions during his visit to the Utah State Capitol. Sessions was in town for the one-year anniversary of the “revitalization” of PSN.

During Sessions’ visit, he touted the PSN program as the “centerpiece” for reducing violent crime both across the country and in Utah.

In addition to Miles’ award, the West Valley City Prosecutor’s Office was also commended Thursday, receiving the award for Outstanding Local Prosecutor’s Office.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office say they believe that the work of these prosecutors has “helped us reduce the violent crime rate in Utah,” the release says.

Project Safe Neighborhoods is an initiative to combat violent crime across the county. In April, state and federal law enforcement officials announced a local PSN initiative with a particular focus in downtown Ogden. Since then, dozens of alleged offenders have been federally prosecuted under the initiative.

As of August, the Ogden program has resulted in 13 federal indictments. U.S. Attorney for the District of Utah John Huber told the Standard-Examiner in August that the number of federal indictments in the area has gone up from last year.